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Bonjour de Paris: My First Week in Paris

By: Taylor York

Bonjour!

I have now been in Paris for a full week, and what an amazing week it has been! I’m not sure how anyone could ever get bored here. So far, classes are going really well, and I have visited some amazing places. I am taking French 1002 and Music Appreciation here in Paris, so my field trips coincide with those themes. I arrived on the evening of Monday, July 1, and I got my first taste of jet lag. I think I am finally getting used to the schedule here, though.

Tuesday, we took a full city tour with the whole European Council USG group. We took a bus tour where I learned more than I can even remember! I saw the Paris trademark that everyone knows, the Eiffel Tower and other popular places that I have visited throughout the week. After our bus tour, we took a riverboat tour down the Seine River. Wednesday was our first day of classes, and my classes went very well. After classes, some other students and I walked around to see some local shops. Shopping in Paris is extremely different than American shopping.

Each store is very small and very specific, and you can only buy a little at a time because you have to ride the RER (a subway) back to the campus. Thursday, I visited the Palais Garnier, which is the Phantom of the Opera opera house. What an overwhelming experience! The beauty of all the detail was impressive. I could go on and on about how beautiful the Palais Garnier is! Later that night, I overheard some other students on campus talking about a Fourth of July celebration at the Eiffel Tower, so I went! It was so much fun! The Eiffel Tower lit up and there were people celebrating in the streets! On Friday, we had class again, but Friday evening I went to a concert. I went to the Sainte Chapelle to hear Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. Everything about it–the music, the architecture, the atmosphere–was breathtaking.

Saturday, we took another group field trip, but this time we went to the Louvre. I could spend hours and hours there. Our tour guide said that if one wanted to see every art gallery in the museum, it would require nine miles of walking! Sunday, we went to Giverny and visited Claude Monet’s house and his beautiful gardens. We saw some of the most beautiful flowers in the garden where Monet did a lot of his artwork. It has been a very busy week, but one of the best weeks of my life! Paris has so much to offer, and I love it already. It’s like a new adventure every day!

Until next time, au revoir!

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